The Press Room of the Mississippi Hospital Association includes, in addition to MHA-specific press information, statistics and studies useful to health care reporters.

December 20, 2013

A new Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) report shows the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes, pre-diabetes, and gestational diabetes among the privately insured reached 8.8 percent in 2012, but the rates of disease varied widely depending on age, gender and region of the country. HCCI identified individuals with diabetes as those diagnosed with diabetes (type 1 or type 2) as well as those at high risk for developing diabetes who were diagnosed with gestational diabetes or pre-diabetes.

In 2012, more than 75 percent of diabetics were 45 years or older; over one quarter of men between the ages of 55 and 64 had diabetes; and, nearly one in 10 Southerners had diabetes, according to the report.

May 23, 2012

Death rates for people with diabetes dropped substantially from 1997 to 2006, especially deaths related to heart disease and stroke, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. Read more here.

April 29, 2011

Annual medical costs for young people with diabetes are substantially higher than medical costs for those without the disease – $9,061 compared to $1,468 – according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention appearing in the May issue of the journal Diabetes Care. The study found that the higher costs were largely associated with prescription drugs and outpatient care, with the highest medical costs belonging to those treated with insulin – $9,333 annually, compared to $5,683 for those who took only oral medications to control their blood glucose. Ninety-two percent of youths with diabetes were on insulin, compared to only 26% of adults with the disease.

In addition, CDC estimates 79 million adults have prediabetes, a condition with higher than normal blood sugar levels that raise their risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The estimates are drawn from a variety of sources, including CDC surveys.

In a study published last year, CDC projected as many as one-third of adults could have diabetes by 2050 if current trends continue.

October 31, 2008

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Oct. 30 reported a 90% increase in the rate of new diabetes cases among U.S. adults in the past 10 years. Based on data from CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the rate increased from 4.8 cases per 1,000 people during 1995-1997 to 9.1 cases per 1,000 in 2005-2007.

State-specific estimates ranged from 5 per 1,000 in Minnesota to 12.7 per 1,000 in West Virginia. States with the highest incidence were predominantly in the South. “We must step up efforts to prevent and control diabetes, particularly in the Southern U.S. region where we see higher rates of diabetes, obesity and physical inactivity,” said lead author Karen Kirtland, a data analyst in CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation.

October 29, 2008

Annual U.S. spending on prescription drugs to treat diabetes rose 87% between 2001 and 2007 due to increased use of more costly newer drugs, according to a study in the Oct. 27 Archives of Internal Medicine. Total annual expenditures for diabetes medications rose from $6.7 billion in 2001 to $12.5 billion in 2007, while the average drug price per prescription rose from $56 to $76.

“Whether increased treatment costs are balanced by improved outcomes associated with these changes cannot be evaluated in the absence of data comparing effectiveness and cost-effectiveness across treatment classes,” the authors conclude. “Our findings suggest the importance of generating new comparative data and coupling this information with clinical and formulary guidelines that contribute to constraining costs, maximizing glycemic control and minimizing diabetes-related morbidity and mortality.”

Estimated patient visits to office-based physicians for type 2 diabetes grew from 37 million in 2000 to 45 million in 2007.

October 09, 2008

Hispanic adults are much more likely than whites to be hospitalized for diabetes and other health problems that might be prevented or controlled with good outpatient care, according to a new report from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In 2006, Hispanic adults were more than twice as likely as whites to be hospitalized for uncontrolled diabetes and its complications, and nearly 1.5 times as likely to be hospitalized for circulatory conditions such as congestive heart failure and high blood pressure. The findings are based on data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s 2006 State Inpatient Databases.

June 25, 2008

An estimated 24 million Americans had diabetes in 2007, an increase of more than 3 million in about two years, according to data released June 24 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another 57 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition that puts people at increased risk for diabetes.

Among adults, diabetes increased in both men and women and in all age groups, but still affects the elderly most. Almost one-quarter of Americans 60 and older had diabetes in 2007. The rate of diagnosed diabetes was highest among Native Americans and Alaska Natives, followed by African Americans and Hispanics.

CDC also released estimates of diagnosed diabetes by county, which states can use to help target prevention efforts.

January 29, 2008

The annual number of Americans aged 65 and over diagnosed with diabetes increased 23% between 1993-1994 and 2003-2004, according to a study in the Jan. 28th Archives of Internal Medicine. The study used Medicare claims and other data to examine trends in the rates of diabetes and its complications.

One-quarter of Medicare beneficiaries 65 and over had diabetes in 2003, up from 15% in 1994. The death rate for patients diagnosed with diabetes declined 8.3% over the period when compared with those who were not diagnosed with the disease. Most patients with diabetes experienced at least one complication within six years of diagnosis; for example, almost half had congestive heart failure.

“For Medicare, the message is that the increased burden of diabetes will contribute to increased budgetary pressures in the future,” the authors said.

January 28, 2008

A new report from the American Diabetes Association estimates diabetes cost the nation $174 billion in 2007. The estimate includes $116 billion in excess medical expenditures and $58 billion in reduced national productivity, according to the report by the Lewin Group.

On average, medical expenditures are more than twice as much for patients with diabetes, the study estimates. As of 2007, 17.5 million U.S. residents have been diagnosed with diabetes, the study estimates, up from 12.1 million in 2002.

“The burden of diabetes is imposed on all sectors of society – higher insurance premiums paid by employees and employers, reduced earnings through productivity loss, and reduced overall quality of life for people with diabetes and their families and friends,” the report concludes.

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The Mississippi Hospital Association's Press Room offers MHA and Mississippi news in addition to health care news we think may be of interest to health care reporters. If you wish to receive email updates, subscribe below. If you need further assistance, contact Shawn Rossi at (800) 289-8884, (601) 368-3237 or srossi@mhanet.org.